Light in the Barren Lands: Travail of The Dark Mage Book One

by Pratt, Brian S.

  Beneath a hail of bullets, they fled into the tunnel.

  “Who fired?”

  Incensed and enraged, Mr. Barnes’ voice came over three dozen radios. There was no reply. At a lookout position high in the Matterhorn, he had watched the movements of the terrorists since they first entered the park.

  On the streets surrounding the park, the local National Guard was getting into position. He had three Apaches at his beck and call not more than two minutes away should the situation warrant their intervention.

  “All units hold fire!”

  “They fled into Big Thunder Mountain,” one agent announced over the radio.

  Turning to the park liaison, he asked, “Is there a way into that ride from below?”

  “Yes. Every ride can be accessed through the service tunnels.”

  Into his radio he said, “Farmer, have the tech show you the way into Big Thunder.”

  “Already done,” Agent Farmer replied. Now that Randle was dead, Farmer was his second in command. “We’re at the access stairwell now.”

  “See if you can get up there and toss in the canisters.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  After their last encounter with the terrorists showed them that bullets were ineffective, Mr. Barnes now planned to try tear gas. And if that didn’t work, there were a few other tricks up his sleeve that may prove effective.

  Creating his orb, James looked around at their surroundings. The tracks ran through the center of the tunnel with walkways on either side. He indicated to Jiron for them to move to the one on the left.

  “What now?” Jiron helped his daughter to the walkway and then glanced to the tunnel opening through which they had just come.

  “We’ve still got a ways to go before reaching the castle.”

  “Can’t you just do it from here?” asked Jira.

  “There would be a greater probability of succeeding if we were in the castle,” he replied.

  “I say we make a run for it.”

  James turned a questioning look to his friend.

  “Your protective crystals will keep us safe against their gunfire,” Jiron explained. “And once inside, you can put up a shield around the whole place to keep them out while you do what you have to and send us home.”

  He nodded. Then to Jira he said, “You keep hold of your father’s hand. Don’t let go for anything until we tell you.”

  Wide-eyed, she nodded as she slipped her hand within her father’s.

  About to cast an all encompassing protective shield about the three of them, a clanking noise drew his attention. When he saw the round silver canister rolling his way, he created the shield a second before smoke began issuing from the canister.

  Two more followed, all three coming to a halt upon reaching the edge of his shield. The gas readily passed through the shield, and after one whiff, James’ eyes began watering and he started to cough. “Out!” he shouted.

  Keeping together, they emerged from the tunnel of the Big Thunder Mountain. Jiron was helping his friend who was having difficulty seeing. His eyes also burned from exposure to the gas, but not as bad as James who had been closer. Once out from the ride, James’ eyes began to clear.

  Ping!

  A bullet ricocheted off the shield, but James ignored it. With a blast of magic, he blew a hole in the fence that encircled the ride, and the three of them began moving around the ride in the direction of Cinderella’s Castle.

  “I said hold your fire!” yelled Mr. Barnes into the radio.

  Watching the trio emerge into the open, he could readily tell that the tear gas had had an affect. “The gas got to them,” observed the Task Force Chief. “Their defenses may keep out bullets, but gas pierces it. Signal the choppers and have our men pull back.”

  “Yes, sir,” replied one of his men. Then speaking into the radio, the agent ordered the choppers to move in and release their load.

  From a parking lot not more than half a mile away, three helicopters lifted into the air. Crop dusters dragooned into service, their pods that normally held crop insecticides were now filled with a gas that would render the terrorists unconscious. He hadn’t been sure that using the gas would be feasible until seeing how effectively the tear gas had penetrated their protective defenses. If tear gas could get through, so should this stuff.

  The terrorists had rounded Big Thunder Mountain when the whirr of the choppers could be heard. Watching the three far below, Mr. Barnes could see how they were glancing up toward the approaching crop dusters.

  “Looks like they’re heading for the castle,” one agent commented.

  “Yes it does,” agreed Mr. Barnes. Into his radio he said, “Farmer, they’re heading for the castle. See if you can reach it before they do.”

  “On my way,” came the reply. Beneath the streets of Disneyland, a dozen agents led by Agent Farmer followed the tech through subterranean access tunnels.

  “It doesn’t look as if they are military,” observed James.

  The firing had stopped and they were making all speed toward Cinderella’s Castle. Sending his senses out, he discovered the men surrounding them were pulling back. He glanced again to the choppers coming their way. Then a memory from long ago surfaced. It was a fragmented scene from a movie in which the military used some kind of knockout gas to prevent three people from scaling a mountain. One had succumbed while the other two made it. As the memory returned whence it came, the last piece of the fragment seemed to have had something to do with spaceships.

  If those choppers were in fact planning on utilizing some sort of chemical attack, be it simply to render them unconscious or to kill them outright, the withdrawal of their men suddenly made much more sense. James wasn’t about to be taken so easily. Bringing their progress to a halt, he concentrated on the shield surrounding them and altered it slightly, giving it a much more physical aspect. By doing so, he effectively sealed the interior off from the outside. Nothing could get in now. As for running out of oxygen, he'd worry about that when the situation arose.

  As the choppers flew overhead, they released the gas. Yellow fumes saturated the area as the three passed through the gates of Frontier Land. The altered protective shield kept the yellow fumes at bay and they passed through safely.

  Before them rose Cinderella’s Castle. Making a run for it, they passed by the Plaza Gardens Stage, traversed the plaza with Walt and Mickey’s statue, and entered the Castle. Immediately, James threw up a protective shield to encompass the entire structure. Such was the amount of magic needed for the shield that he was forced to draw from the network of crystals that they’d placed about the park earlier in the day. He also altered its appearance, giving the shield a much more opaque look so that those on the outside couldn’t see through. Once it was in place, he set one of the few remaining crystals in his possession to maintain it.

  Now that the greater shield was in place, he canceled the one around the three of them. He then sent his senses to inspect the interior of the Castle for any others who may still have been within the structure. Not finding anyone, he relaxed.

  “Are we safe in here?” asked Jiron?”

  “For the time being, yes,” replied James. “They’d have to destroy the park in order to breach the protective shield, something I doubt they would even contemplate. Provided of course that we give them no reason to do so.”

  He could feel the flows of magic converging at a point somewhere in the area above. “See if you can find a stairway up.” A moment later, one was located and James led the way up to where the winding stairway opened onto the suite of rooms Walt had included in the design. It was there that the converging lines of magic came together.

  It wasn’t hard to find the focal point when he entered the room, his skin felt like it was covered in a million, crawling ants. Neither Jiron nor Jira could feel anything. “This is it,” he announced. Turning to Jiron, he gave him a grin. “Time to go home.”

  “Farmer here, sir.”

  Speaking into the radio,
Mr. Barnes asked, “What’s the situation?”

  “We’re in the walkway running through the castle. It appears they have sealed off the entire area with another of their protective shields.”

  “Yes, we know. Men are even now working on a way to breach it.”

  “The terrorists have moved into the upper reaches of the castle.”

  “Do they know you are there?”

  “Not yet. It seems they are totally oblivious to the fact that the castle can be accessed from below.”

  “Good, keep it that way. See if you can find out what they are up to and report back. Do not try to take them down unless the situation warrants it.”

  “Yes, sir,” replied Agent Farmer who then clicked off. Turning to the tech he asked, “Is there any way I can get up there to see what they are doing without them knowing?”

  The tech scratched his head. “I never worked on the castle before, but there is usually more than a single way from one level to another.” He paused then asked, “What about the elevator?” Pointing over the side, he directed Agent Farmer’s attention to a partially concealed elevator door.

  Agent Farmer shook his head. “No good. Too obvious. See if you can locate another way up.”

  Nodding, the tech began searching the area.

  After posting two agents to keep watch on the way the terrorists had used to reach the upper level, Agent Farmer waited. When the tech came to tell him he had found a ladder ascending upward through a maintenance shaft, he followed the man over and stealthily climbed to the next level.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  ________________________

  James had Jiron and Jira stand to the side with the duffle bag and James’ backpack. He then formed a makeshift Vyrilyzk filled with plenty of apples, bananas, and a couple blueberry muffins thrown in for good measure. Once completed, he turned to Jiron.

  “I may be sitting for some time. If you see or hear anything, don’t respond. The earth spirits are very skittish. I’m hoping they’ll come with the two of you here.”

  “And if not?”

  “Well, let’s not worry about that until it happens. Just be silent and watch.” He gave Jira a stern gaze.

  “She’ll behave.” Glancing to his daughter he asked, “Won’t you?” She nodded affirmatively.

  James took his seat before the Vyrilyzk and then motioned for Jiron to kill the lights. Instantly, they were plunged into darkness. The only source of illumination was the small LED’s on various electronics placed about the room.

  Calming himself, he took the crystal which was the focal point for those placed about the park, and activated it. Red filled the crystal as it drew magic from the others until reaching peak capacity, then it went into stasis mode to await the time James drew upon its power. He set the crystal on the ground before him.

  Tapping into the crystal’s power, he created the bubble of peace and welcome just as he had in the desert. Then, he began to hum.

  “They’ve turned off the lights and two are standing in the dark off to the side. One, the leader I think, is sitting cross-legged on the floor. Or at least he was when the lights went out.” Peering through a partially opened access panel, Agent Farmer kept an eye on the actions of the terrorists.

  “Any sign of a bomb?” asked Mr. Barnes.

  “Negative. The only equipment they have with them is what we brought from the hotel with the prisoner.”

  “Keep watch.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Mr. Barnes turned to the agent next to him. “What do you make of that?”

  “Weird. First they make a mad dash to the castle, then they sit around in the dark? Maybe they’re a little off their rocker.”

  “Could be. See how they’re making out with getting through that dome.”

  “Right away.”

  Turning his attention back to the dome covering Cinderella’s Castle, Mr. Barnes wondered about the inexplicable actions of the terrorists. Tear gas affected them, but when confronted with something more potent, nothing. None of this made any sense.

  Ten minutes had passed and still no sign of the earth spirits. James was growing concerned. Something was keeping them away, but what? Could it be the presence of Jiron and Jira? Shy creatures that they were, it may be that having them in the same room was inhibiting their appearance. If so, then there was precious little he could do about it, for Jiron and Jira had to be there when the earth spirits gave their aid to send them home.

  This was the place the earth spirit had told him to be when he attempted the crossing. He was certain of it. So why were they not coming? Sending out his senses farther, he sought their presence within a greater area. As the search extended beyond the room, he detected a presence. But it wasn’t an earth spirit. It was a man.

  In his mind’s eye, he saw the man perched upon a ladder at the edge of the room, peering in. His first thought was that the shield around the castle had somehow been nullified, but a quick check told him it remained in place. Sending his senses to the area below, he discovered the lower area of the castle was swarming with men. They were not alone. That must be why the earth spirits had not come!

  “Jiron. Come here,” he whispered.

  He could sense his friend moving closer in the dark. “What?” Jiron whispered back.

  “Off to your left, there is a man hidden behind a small door watching us. More are in position below.”

  Glancing to the left, he couldn’t see anything due to the darkness. “They pierced your shield?”

  “No, they must have come from below.” Sending his senses even farther, he detected the tunnels running beneath the surface. They too were packed with men, soldiers by the looks of it. “There are…many.”

  “What are we to do?”

  “I think the man’s presence is keeping the earth spirits away. Move to your left. Once you reach the wall, I’ll create my orb. Look for a small rectangular door that’s ajar a little over an inch. He’s on a ladder. Either knock him off or…kill him.” How he hated to say those two words. “Afterward, I’ll seal the shaft and all other ways into this area.”

  “You got it.”

  Agent Farmer detected movement in the room. Even though it was dark, a body passing before a lit LED was unmistakable. He couldn’t tell what they were doing, as it had been dark and quiet for some time. Then from within the room, a trace of whispers filtered their way toward him. Unable to discern their meaning, he moved the access panel open a little farther to try and get a better view within the room.

  The whispering didn’t last long before the room grew quiet once more. Wishing he had night glasses, Agent Farmer edged open the access panel a little bit farther still.

  Then suddenly, a light sprang to life in the center of the room. Before he knew what was happening, the access panel flung open and a fist smashed into his nose. The unexpectedness of the attack caught him completely by surprise. As his face exploded in pain and blood, twin blows hammered upon his hands where they gripped the rung of the maintenance ladder. Bones snapped, grips were lost, and Agent Farmer fell.

  His cry alerted those waiting below just in time for them to turn and watch him slam into the floor. “Medic!” one agent shouted as he raced for the ladder. Gun drawn, he started climbing the ladder when he encountered a barrier similar to that which surrounded the castle.

  “They’ve got this blocked!” he yelled to those below.

  The agents stationed at the stairwell found a similar obstruction not more than three feet farther up.

  The medic called for a stretcher while another radioed the situation to Mr. Barnes. Agent Farmer still lived, but he had suffered serious injury when he fell.

  “Can we gain access to them?” relayed the agent speaking with the Task Force leader.

  “Negative. All ways are barred.”

  A noxious odor began to permeate the area. Mildly unpleasant at first, it quickly began to increase in intensity. Soon, men were coughing, some even gagging as the odor grew from unpleasant
to downright vile.

  “Sir!” the agent shouted over the radio to Mr. Barnes. About to continue, he was overcome by a fit of coughing.

  “What? What is it?”

  Getting himself under control, the agent gasped as he said, “They’re gassing us.” Then another fit of coughing wracked him.

  “Get out of there now,” came the order.

  “Out!” the agent yelled. “Fall back to the tunnels below!”

  Most had come to that conclusion and were already evacuating. Two men saw to Agent Farmer’s withdrawal. Very shortly, the entire area was clear.

  As soon as the men were in the tunnels, James sealed it off. “There, that should allow us some peace and quiet to get this done.”

  “They are gone?” asked Jiron.

  James nodded. “Yes.”

  “How did you do it?”

  Unable to keep the grin from showing, James said, “I coated the area with my bug repellent.”

  “Not that vile stuff you used in the swamp?”

  “The same. Only this time, ten times as unpleasant.”

  “No wonder they cleared out of there,” chuckled Jiron. He well remembered how at normal strength, James’ bug repellent had been almost more than he could bear.

  James checked the area below once more to ensure there were no other surprises waiting for them, then returned to his position before the Vyrilyzk. Once Jiron and Jira were again on the other side of the room, the orb vanished and he resumed his efforts to contact the earth spirits.

  Tapping again into the crystal on the ground before him, he created his bubble of peace and welcome then began to hum once more. The tune that came to mind was one of the many lullabies Meliana had sung to Kenny when he was just a babe. The melody brought him added peace and feelings of home. Jira joined in, for it was a song her mother had sung to her as well. After a moment, Jiron too added his baritone. No words did they sing, merely humming a tune that brought to mind a better time.